PowHERtalks Testimonials

Langara School of Management was very proud to be a part of such a game-changing event!

“Wow, what an inspirational day! I was especially inspired by the “asks” by the speakers of the participants – what a great way for people to bring their talents forth to move great projects ahead!” – Stephanie Koonar, Assistant Chair External Relations, Langara School of Management

Better Than TedX

“Attended PowHERtalks in Vancouver with my sister and two new friends. We were all totally impressed with the calibre of speakers and organization. They said it was better than TedX that they attended in November! Congratulations to all involved!” – Kait Burgan

PowHERtalks differentiates from other talks by providing a clear focus to inspire others to take action to change.

“There is a surge of “Talks” happening at this time, and I have attended many of them. So what makes PowHERtalks different? PowHERtalks is a powerful platform for a wide spectrum of women dealing with lifestyle and leadership, attracting a diverse range of ages and ethnicity. The talks are inspirational, informative, impactful and educational. Above all, Charlene has the ability to choose speakers who are real, passionate, daring and vulnerable enough to not be afraid to askthe audience for their own needs.”

As I listened to each speaker share their talk I was moved by the depth and commitment. PowHertalks are about empowerment, change and sharing. There is no competition or rehashing of the old information rather the information shared is meaningful and deliberate with a clear focus to challenge status quo. It’s clear that Charlene SanJenko and team consider every aspect and detail of the day. As a woman who has helped 1500+ businesses launch to success and beyond, I give this concept a ten out of ten! – Jo Dibblee – Author, Speaker and Founder of Frock Off Inc. www.frock-off.com

The creation of my PowHERtalk was a birthing process where I felt so held and safe to show up in my full truth, bare my soul and step as fully into my powHER as much as I was willing. The entire process, although incredibly challenging, was liberating, empowering and life affirming on multiple levels.

“I am blown away by Charlene SanJenko and her creation of PowHERtalks. When I found out I was going to be one of the PowHERtalkers, I had no idea what was in store for me. The steadfast focus of Charlene’s vision and her deep caring heart combined with the solid container of support created by the other ‘PowHERhouses’ in the community evoked such a depth of inquiry into who I am and what my message is that I accessed a new level of clarity and integrity within my own being. I feel deeply grateful, honoured and blessed to have had the opportunity to be a PowHERtalker and for all the tools, support and resources I now have to launch me into a new level of engagement and success. I literally did spread my wings and will continue to soar giving my gifts more fully to the world.”

I feel lucky to be witnessing the start of a world-changing movement.

“It is hard to find the words to express how amazing yesterday afternoon was… I was privileged to hear many extremely compelling stories, shared by the women who have lived them in a clear, honest and open-hearted way. There were ALSO many words of wisdom, hard-won lessons generously shared by the women who survived tough times and came out the other side wanting to help others survive – and thrive – too. It was everything promised – RAW, real, inspiring, educational, moving, humourous. Thank you to everyone that participated in yesterday’s wonderful event. So much more to come!”

When sleeping women wake, mountains move.

“As the ancient Chinese proverb states “When sleeping women wake, mountains move”, and though the group of PowHERful Women who gathered for the inaugural PowHERtalks event were far from asleep, if I was a betting women, I’d wager there were many a mountain moved that day. Mountains of self-doubt were pushed aside for authentic power and purpose to play the staring role, as the women in attendance as well as the line up of speakers stood powerfully in their truth, speaking messages of contribution, and change straight from their hearts. This event created a synergistic energy that vibrated from inside each and every woman (and a few good men) in attendance. It’s an event not to be missed, if you have the chance. These PowHERhouse women are truly on the rise!”

I will look forward to continuing this adventure along side the hundreds and thousands who will be touched by the PowHERhouse Ripple Effect.

“I feel honoured to be involved and now I realize PowHERtalks was a catalyst for my understanding of the influence one DOES have everyday, in every minute… Words are PowHERful, what words have I chosen to describe my life? I feel transformed back to Who I Really Am…”

PowHERtalks is nothing short of transformative.

“The series of talks allows insight and growth in all aspects of one’s life – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. PowHERtalks brings deep insight and expanded perspective.” Carol Anne Hilton

The camaraderie, collaboration and support from this network and the opportunities to speak have made such a huge impact not only in terms of possibilities but also in terms of feeling connected to an incredible network of passionate women that is continuously growing.

PowHERalks and the PowHERouse network has made an incredible impact on my life. As someone who has committed the last 18 years of life to human services and the well-being of young people and communities and as solo humanitarian, it has been a very challenging road. – Loretta Cella, Founder and Visionary of Leaders for Humanity.

Supporting PowHERtalks is a direct investment into the heart and soul of our communities.

“From a Community Investment perspective, I cannot think of a more wholistic and authentic venture. Women, entrepreneurs and community leaders are uniting to courageously step forward and share their vision; and most importantly, they are inspiring action… These benefits and actions are both immediate and compounding. If that weren’t enough, powHERhouse.com bring this entire movement online, creating lasting and far-reaching opportunities for limitless exposure, partnership, action and growth. And, it’s only just begun.” Carmen Driechel, Fortis BC, partner since November 2015

“Every community has heroes. When we start to recognize and celebrate them, we grow stronger.”

Thanks to our Event Sponsor, Fortis BC, some BCIT students were gifted with the PowHERtalks experience…

“Just wanting to thank you both for the wonderful day of inspiring woman. My students were so emotionally inspired that l saw change right before my eyes. We went to dinner later and shared of what we got out of the day, and the connection that these students made that day was so exciting to see. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts… This is such a great opportunity for all women to experience. I hope this can continue and you will be able to share this gift with another students.” – Joanne Stone-Campbell, ly’imelwit | Coordinator | Aboriginal Services | British Columbia Institute of Technology

What an exceptional celebration of growth and potential!

“Thank you for the opportunity to attend the PowHERhouse PowHERtalks on January 30th. It truly was a wonderful experience to listen to the obstacles that were overcome and the milestones that were reached, and to get some insight into what inspired these incredible women to succeed. I was so glad to share in this experience with my peers and one of our advisors; the event certainly generated some great discussions afterwards. I would recommend it to anyone who might have the chance to attend the talks. I hope that there are others who can partake in future PowHERtalks. – Cassandra Kowalchuk, Bachelor of Geomatics Degree

The event and the whole experience was overwhelmingly inspirational.

“Because of your generosity, I had the opportunity and the pleasure of attending the 2016 PowHERtalks in Vancouver. Being able to hear all of the stories that were shared by some incredibly remarkable women moved me. Attending the event also brought a group of women from BCIT’s Aboriginal Services, who prior to that day knew little of one another, together – it was just what I needed.” – Melissa Hoffart – Marketing Communications, BCIT, Case Lead | BCITMA, Mentor | BCIT Aboriginal Services | Life at BCIT Student Blogger

“I just wanted to thank you for the great experience that was the PowHERtalks conference that I was able to attend thanks to your continued support of BCIT Aboriginal students. It was a fantastic experience to be able to listen to the inspiring stories of these women and the encouraging words they had for us. Thank you for the opportunity.” – Erica Krauseneck, Medical Laboratory Science BCIT

This realization of an encompassing title for my work is precisely what I had been searching for, and came about in no small part through PowHertalks and its founder, Charlene SanJenko.

“The benefits of participating in PowHertalks either as a speaker or as an audience member are numerous and strong. Personally, I was guided by the experience of participation in all 3 events thus far to crystalize and re-format my own signature keynote address under the new heading of Confident Reinvention.

At this moment, my Ask is that you consider participation in PowHertalks through speaking at an event, through listening as an audience member, and/or by sponsoring this powerful movement through assistance or a monetary gesture. At the very least, follow the incremental growth of this very powHerful group of women via social media. Together, we help each other succeed.” – Rosemary Barnes

PowHERtalks was the catalyst that moved me into action.

“WOW! Who knew what speaking at this event would lead to? I am so grateful for the speaking experience PowHERtalks Nanaimo provided. I knew I loved speaking in front of groups and challenging the way people think, but PowHERtalks was the catalyst that moved me into action. Since PowHERtalks I started my own company Domino Thinking (in addition to my main business Sonshine Girls Painting). Through this business, I am going to encourage people to understand the difference between having an idea and having a well- developed thought and how that affects them, their business and society as a whole with the intention of creating accountability. I have also started an online radio show on Bold Radio Station called Natural Born Speakers which is connecting me to really amazing people all over the world. I have no idea where I am going to end up but it’s been such an adventure. If you have the opportunity to either speak and/or attend a PowHERtalks in your area, please do yourself a favour. In some way big or small, it will change your life.” – Alison Donaghey

I can still her words echoing in my head. ‘Be specific!’, ‘What is your ASK? Make your ASK so bold that it scares you! That’s when I can really help you!’

“Have you ever had a dream and shared it with a friend? Maybe it was to open a restaurant, save orcas, or bring compassion to the world? Trusting, you opened your heart to your friend and let your dream flow out of your mouth…. only to be met with a barrage of negatives such as ‘you’re too old’, or ‘you don’t have what it takes’. I don’t know about you, but I have, and it is heartbreaking to share a dream with someone who cannot share it back with us.

Consequently, I have learned to be cautious about sharing my dreams openly. I seldom let them out to ‘mingle’ freely with other people. It took a big leap of faith on my part to share my biggest dream with Charlene SanJenko, someone I barely knew at the time. At first, I did what I had become good at… I spoke about my dream in evasive terms so she could not really pin point what I was trying to do. Charlene – in her infinite kindness and wisdom – saw and felt my hesitation. Smiling, she built a solid bridge of trust between us.

From her, there was none of the other crap I had heard before. On the contrary. She looked as if she had wings and could really help make my dream come true. She wanted to dream big with me. Through her support, I walked on that stage in Victoria with one of my boldest asks ever: a speaking platform in China! Why? I want to become a household name on emotional intelligence in that country. I did not know if PowHERtalks could deliver. Like, do they even have a Chinese market? I have found out they have actually the best market ever: a sisterhood of like-minded women who knows how to unite quickly for a shared common goal.
Business cards were handed to me, my inbox got flooded with emails. I am still responding to the contacts I have made and booking coffee chats and Skype meetings. I am in awe at how easily the women present at PowHERtalks opened their contacts to me, a stranger in many ways. It has been quite a humbling and rewarding experience for me. I am forever grateful to Charlene SanJenko for empowering me to own my dream, center stage. I also want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors Royal Roads University, Fortis BC, and Bodacious.” – Anne Beaulieu, Emotional Intelligence Coach & Speaker, Walking Inside Resources Inc.